2015 Virginia Regional

[JamesBrown]

The Virginia Regional is coming up this week. I wanted to start a thread to keep all discussion in one place.

Team List is available here: https://my.usfirst.org/myarea/index.lasso?page=event_teamlist&sort_teams=number

Of the 64 teams attending,
54 are from Virginia
4 are from South Carolina
2 are from Brazil
2 are from the Netherlands
1 is from Maryland and
1 is from New York.

For 56 teams this will be their first or only regional of the year.
Of the other 8, 7 competed in Palmetto, and 1 in Arkansas. No teams have Regional Champion, or Chairman's award wins yet this season.

[notmattlythgoe]

Looking forward to seeing how all of the teams tackled this year's engineering challenge and seeing all of our friends. Also, looking forward to meeting the first time attendees of the Virginia Regional.

[JamesBrown]

Personally speaking, this will be my first time at the Virginia regional, and the second trip for team 5279.

After a very educational first year featuring a Dozer like bot, 5279 is excited to return with a new team, almost all new students and mentors. We believe we will be fielding a much more reliable and effective bot this year, and we are looking forward to competing at VCU.

Our 2015 bot "Buford T. Justice" is capable of actively holding 5 Totes, or 3 totes and a Recycle Container. We can also lift a stack of up to 3 totes and a recycle container high enough to place the stack on a stack of up to 5 totes to complete a capped stack of 6.

Pictures of this years bot can be found here (Apologies about the picture orientation):
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41625

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41633

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41634

[KushP384]

I'm really excited to see not only some of our local friends, but the teams from Brazil and the Netherlands. It's not very often we get to interact with teams from South America, let alone Europe! The level of competition has also augmented exponentially these past couple of years. Should be an eventful three days. :D

[jreneew2]

I can't wait to go to Virginia this year! I am looking forward to seeing all the really friendly teams there. Mech Tech Dragons, Triple Helix, Maximum Oz. etc. I can't wait to see the new teams as well. I hope everyone has a great time and a great competition. The last two years in Virginia have been awesome and I can't wait for this year. :-)

[JOClarke]

Teams coming to VA regional:
122
339
342
346
383
384
388
401
422
539
540
611
617
619
1033
1086
1095
1137
1156
1262
1287
1522
1541
1598
1599
1610
1719
1731
1758
1793
1895
1908
2028
2053
2106
2107
2363
2402
2988
2998
3072
3136
3168
3258
3274
3359
3361
3373
3455
3489
3709
3872
3939
4286
4466
4481
4538
4714
4969
5279
5412
5425
5546
5724

[dougwilliams]

Looking forward to playing in Virginia later this week (we still have lots of snow on the ground in NY).

We just posted details, videos, and list of all of our latest robot features and auto modes (including 3 tote stack, and step recycling container grabber) over in this thread:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1458518

Should be a fun game!!

[DRH2o]

Really looking forward to the VA Regional this year. One of our really great sponsors -- Mid-Atlantic Broadband has developed a side competition for the 6 SOVA Teams they Sponsor (only 5 of us are at VA). We are #MBC_FRC_Teams (1095, 1262, 1598, 3258, and 5279). This is the MBC Challenge Cup (link here http://m.mbc-va.com/news/details/id/66/mid-atlantic-broadband-to-host-mbc-chall ) There is a social media challenge as well -- tweet #MBCChallengeCup #teamtalon1598 to help us win :D . You can substitute the team #(otherteam) to help other teams as well, but I'm not going to put their # here -- we want to win. They can tell you their # if they want to. THANK YOU Mid-Atlantic Broadband !!!!

[Maldridge422]

I'm sure some other teams have revealed their bots, but here's what I was able to easily find on a few of the robots that will be at the Seigel Center:

TALON 540 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41424)
1086 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41362) Blue Cheese
1156 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=135850) Under Control
2363 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO--40J8E80) Triple Helix
4481 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1448615) Rembrandts

[TDav540]

I'm sure some other teams have revealed their bots, but here's what I was able to easily find on a few of the robots that will be at the Seigel Center:

TALON 540 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41424)
1086 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/41362) Blue Cheese
1156 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=135850) Under Control
2363 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO--40J8E80) Triple Helix
4481 (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1448615) Rembrandts

1156 (Under Control, from Brazil) posted there video on CD earlier as well.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135850&highlight=1156

TALON 540 is really excited to be attending VA once again! We can't wait!

[Noudvanbrunscho]

After about 24 hours of travelling, Team Rembrandts and Team Impossible Robotics from the Netherlands arrived in Richmond yesterday!
We still need to time to get some extra sleep but we feel almost ready.
We can not wait for the competition to start and we will see you all thursday!
:)

[PayneTrain]

After about 24 hours of travelling, Team Rembrandts and Team Impossible Robotics from the Netherlands arrived in Richmond yesterday!
We still need to time to get some extra sleep but we feel almost ready.
We can not wait for the competition to start and we will see you all thursday!
:)

Y'all want any restaurant recommendations or sightseeing suggestions or something or are you just getting some sleep?

[wilsonmw04]

Y'all want any restaurant recommendations or sightseeing suggestions or something or are you just getting some sleep?

They should go to Buzz and Ned's.

[TDav540]

They should go to Buzz and Ned's.

I second this :D

[Maldridge422]

I second this :D

+1

[jreneew2]

Sorry to pull the conversation away from restaurant recommendations, but does anyone know where I can find the webcast link for the regional?

[kjohnson]

Sorry to pull the conversation away from restaurant recommendations, but does anyone know where I can find the webcast link for the regional?

NASA Langley normally provides the webcast equipment and the link will be posted here: http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/2015_frcwebcasts.php

[Maldridge422]

Sorry to pull the conversation away from restaurant recommendations, but does anyone know where I can find the webcast link for the regional?

Now back to food.

I'm a big fan of Alamo BBQ in Union Hill and The Black Sheep a few blocks from the Seigel Center on W. Marshall St.

[jreneew2]

Thanks!

[Nathan Streeter]

Best of luck to everyone competing down in VA this weekend, particularly our friends and allies, 1086 and 2363!

[ghesla]

As we are based in NJ/NY for our stay in the USA, tomorrow we are going to Richmond, with a stop in Washington! See you soon!

[PayneTrain]

Food update: they went to Five Guys and Buz and Ned's yesterday. They're now looking for Mexican restaurant suggestions.

[TDav540]

Food update: they went to Five Guys and Buz and Ned's yesterday. They're now looking for Mexican restaurant suggestions.

Casa Grande is pretty good in the West End.

[wilsonmw04]

what's the name of the place in Short Pump that does the fresh Guacamole at the table?

[JamesBrown]

Maya is awesome, but not quite as dirt cheap as some of the other Mexican places.

[JDGallagher]

what's the name of the place in Short Pump that does the fresh Guacamole at the table?

Plaza Azteca?

[wilsonmw04]

That's it!

[dougwilliams]

Oddly, a snowstorm shut the Interstate down when we left NY this AM. But after 9 hours, our trailer has made it to Richmond. Unfortunately, the rest of our team and school bus are 2 hours behind, still. Should make an interesting unload with just two of us tonight. Hopefully we run across some people willing to lend a hand ;)

[PayneTrain]

Oddly, a snowstorm shut the Interstate down when we left NY this AM. But after 9 hours, our trailer has made it to Richmond. Unfortunately, the rest of our team and school bus are 2 hours behind, still. Should make an interesting unload with just two of us tonight. Hopefully we run across some people willing to lend a hand ;)

Our school is a few blocks away from the venue and we are meeting right now so if you're there when we're there we'll have available bodies.

[wilsonmw04]

pits are small this year: 8' wide by 10' deep.

[PayneTrain]

pits are small this year: 8' wide by 10' deep.

Makes sense, there are fewer teams than last year and the robots are bigger.

[Hallry]

pits are small this year: 8' wide by 10' deep.

Why? What is the space that used to be given to the pits used for?

[kjohnson]

pits are small this year: 8' wide by 10' deep.

Pits were resized to 9x10 after load-in completed tonight.

[PayneTrain]

Pits were resized to 10x10 after load-in completed tonight.

Cool. Good thing we didn't load in tonight.

[wilsonmw04]

Pits were resized to 10x10 after load-in completed tonight.

WHAT? we were going to ask 422 to borrow some real estate to fit out new truss system, but now we don't have to! ;-)

[PayneTrain]

WHAT? we were going to ask 422 to borrow some real estate to fit out new truss system, but now we don't have to! ;-)

Bro, we have to put our new couch somewhere.

[wilsonmw04]

Bro, we have to put our new couch somewhere.

we had it all figured out. you could put the couch under the truss. We were going to give up space in the middle to make it work. Maybe we can share the couch now?

[Hallry]

we had it all figured out. you could put the couch under the truss. We were going to give up space in the middle to make it work. Maybe we can share the couch now?

I have an idea... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9UZv-egULY)

[Electronica1]

we had it all figured out. you could put the couch under the truss. We were going to give up space in the middle to make it work. Maybe we can share the couch now?

I mean, the cheese head makes a pretty great pillow. (well most of the teams cheese heads do, the mods to my cheese head make it a pretty horrible pillow)

[PayneTrain]

we had it all figured out. you could put the couch under the truss. We were going to give up space in the middle to make it work. Maybe we can share the couch now?

In all seriousness, are we next to each other? We've never been next to each other.

[wilsonmw04]

RIGHT next to each other. Like, elbow to elbow.

[wilsonmw04]

I have an idea... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9UZv-egULY)

epic.

[Wetzel]

Pits were resized to 10x10 after load-in completed tonight.

As you load in and set up your pits tomorrow, please work with each other to adjust, some teams loaded into a pit that has shifted a few feet over.

Correction: They were resized to 9x10, which is the size communicated to teams prior to the event.
Source: I pulled up all the tape.

[dougwilliams]

Our school is a few blocks away from the venue and we are meeting right now so if you're there when we're there we'll have available bodies.


Thanks for the offer - it was much smoother than anticipated. 2 person load in complete in an hour.

And beautiful weather ...

[wilsonmw04]

Pits were resized to 10x10 after load-in completed tonight.

Can you explain how that worked? were the aisles made longer? was the placement of pits changed?

[Wetzel]

Can you explain how that worked? were the isles made longer? was the placement of pits changed?

We simply expanded the width of the pits by a foot. The east-west avenue behind the drape is now 6 feet skinnier.

[dougwilliams]

Pretty pleased with our first full 6 tote, can with litter stack in about a minute...

http://i.imgur.com/eqzemFu.png?1

How did everyone else feel after practice? Seemed like some field issues that they hopefully have figured out.

And disappointed this will be our last year in VA now that you are moving to districts and don't want us NY teams here anymore ;) VA is our favorite venue by far! Can we join your district?

[wilsonmw04]

And disappointed this will be our last year in VA now that you are moving to districts and don't want us NY teams here anymore ;) VA is our favorite venue by far! Can we join your district?

A LOT has to happen before that change is made. Honestly, I'm not sure the ground work has been set to make this happen in a year.

FYI: pic link is broken for me.

[dougwilliams]

A LOT has to happen before that change is made. Honestly, I'm not sure the ground work has been set to make this happen in a year.

FYI: pic link is broken for me.


Not sure who - but someone came around and told us today as though it was done. Maybe a misinterpretation(?).

Pic link was broken for me as well - link appears good now :)

[Electronica1]

And disappointed this will be our last year in VA now that you are moving to districts and don't want us NY teams here anymore ;) VA is our favorite venue by far! Can we join your district?

I think I have heard that over the last few years

(Wil, we are at 2208 now ;) )

[PayneTrain]

Pretty pleased with our first full 6 tote, can with litter stack in about a minute...

http://i.imgur.com/eqzemFu.png?1

How did everyone else feel after practice? Seemed like some field issues that they hopefully have figured out.

And disappointed this will be our last year in VA now that you are moving to districts and don't want us NY teams here anymore ;) VA is our favorite venue by far! Can we join your district?

You also may have heard that I'm secretly a unicorn but I wouldn't put any stock in that rumor.

[Gregor]

You also may have heard that I'm secretly a unicorn but I wouldn't put any stock in that rumor.

Yes

[Lil' Lavery]

I would be surprised if VA is in a district system next season.

[Brandon_L]

I would be surprised if VA is in a district system next season.

Not within Wil's lifespan

[Lil' Lavery]

Not within Wil's lifespan

Are you sure you want to put a price on Wil's head like that? :rolleyes:

[PayneTrain]

2214.

[Johnbot]

I've been watching the stream...

I miss VARI.

[wilsonmw04]

looks like we are getting districts whether they/we are ready for them or not...

[Electronica1]

looks like we are getting districts whether they/we are ready for them or not...

So, I this could mean two things...
1. What it always means in which it means nothing or
2. Wil is a dead man

[JDGallagher]

Congratulations to 4481. You guys and 540 were fantastic alliance partners, and you are one of the most deserving teams to win the Engineering inspiration award I've seen in my FRC career. Especially for a third year team, you all are amazing. Congratulations to the champions, 384, 2363, and 1610. Congratulations to 384 again for the Regional Chairman's Award. This was a great regional.

[Lij2015]

Thank you to 1086, 4481 and 540 for the run of a lifetime!

Also it feels good to know no matter what the result of the final match would have been all teams on the field would be given championships births!

[ToddF]

Our regional was an extreme roller coaster ride. From the time we coalesced on our game strategy, we said that if all our mechanisms worked right, we'd do great, but if anything broke, it would be a total disaster. We gambled on the high risk, high reward strategy, and for most of the qualification matches it looked like we had lost the gamble. A mistake in an early match left our "Doc Ock arm" somewhat crippled. After swapping in a spare arm and chasing feedback sensor problems all day, we ended Friday with a drive team unified by adversity, and a pit crew exhausted from rebuilding the competition arm while simultaneously keeping the robot running. The morning was better, and we finally restored the arm to full functionality right after the last qualification match. We were pretty dejected going into alliance selections. We were hoping we would be a second pick, but figured that was a stretch because we had not proven ourselves on the field, and were ranked 32nd. After the #1 seed picked the #2 seed, we were absolutely amazed when 384, the new captain of the #2 alliance, chose us for their first pick. That was a huge gamble on their part, and we are immensely grateful we were able to fit into their strategy and come through for them. After it was all over, we were still reeling, not quite able to believe what had just happened. Friday was one of those days when nothing seems to go right, and Saturday swung completely the other way. So, thanks to our alliance partners 384 and 1610 for one wild ride. And congratulations to 540, 4481, and 1086 as well. Talking it through at dinner, we realized that because of the way the awards had worked out, no matter who won in the finals all six of us would have ended up with spots in the World Championships. What an amazing end to the last (maybe) Virginia Regional.

Here is video of the finals matches (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJoD67WWd5E&list=UUuxJRpGPzRUtz3Dy8ynfN3A). Sorry, but it's mostly of the Red side of the field. Our multimedia team has already started posting wider view video of the matches. You can find those on our youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbBZ-oKrRYEzSHiaK1yqGBc4jBP3b1axX).

[TDav540]

I would love to say that I am honored to have played with two amazing teams, 4481 and 1086. Although we had first contacted each other far before the actual competition, our relationship with team 4481 truly solidified itself in Qualification Match 77, where we played exceptionally well together. As we came into alliance selections as the fourth seed, we could only hope that they would be available by the time we chose. They were amazing partners both on and off the field. It's sometimes hard to remember that they are just a third-year team, but the professionalism and skill they showed was that of many years more. They were an integral part of our alliance. A well-deserved finals appearance and EI award.

As the serpentine came back around, 1086 was our dream pick. Once it became clear they would be available, we were head over heels. They played fantastic during every round, as were extremely critical in developing our quality alliance. Our team's relationship with them makes our run to the finals even more special. I cannot wait to see what they can do in Chesapeake and in St. Louis!

Congrats to 384, 2363, and 1610! 384 built a great alliance, and we knew as soon as Sparky got going in competition on Friday they would be a contender. They built a quality alliance with strong partners, and we cannot wait to continue to collaborate with them in the future. To 2363 and 1610, we cannot wait to see you guys again down the road.

This was a Virginia Regional I will never forget. I wish every team who competed there with us good luck in everything they do.

[Nate Laverdure]

Hearty congratulations also to Rookie All-Star team 5546. I've expected great things from this group of talented students since meeting them in October at the Rumble in the Roads, and I'm delighted that the judges recognized their strengths, too. See you in St. Louis!

[mwilbur]

Triple Helix would like to thank our friends from Sparky 384 and 1610 Builders of Tomorrow for an amazing run through the playoffs and finals. As Todd indicated in a previous post, to say that our performance in the qualification matches was mediocre would be a stretch. Despite that, Sparky was able to see something in us that made them want to take a chance, and for that we are extremely grateful. Congratulations to Talon 540, 4481 Team Rembrandts, and 1086 Blue Cheese for a great showing throughout the competition, playoffs, and finals. It was extraordinarily gratifying to see Team Rembrandts win the EI, and for all of the teams in the finals to receive a berth at the Championship. Congratulations, too, to 5546 A.R.T for the RAS and Paul Elkovich from 346 for the WFFA, and to all of the other award winners.

With the move to the district model next year, we will miss our annual attendance at the Virginia Regional. I am hopeful that we will somehow find a way to continue to see all of our various friends from Virginia and other places around the world, as we have for the last 8 years at the Virginia Regional. It's been a marvelous run at the Siegel Center, despite the awful bag checks and restrictive food policies, and I, for one, will miss the trip to Richmond each March.

One final thanks to all of the team mentors, coaches, competition judges, volunteers, and VirginiaFIRST for a job well done!

[PayneTrain]

And so another VARI comes to a close. We overshot on our robot design this year, but I'm really proud of our students and the way they handled adversity (they're a lot better at it than me). Thanks to 5412 for giving us an award for the most unique robot at the event, I think that held true. Maybe next year we can get a game where we can replicate field elements a little better in our shop :)

We're all really thrilled that 4481 came to VA and were the most enthusiastic organization I have ever seen in FRC. Chillest team ever. It's great to see 1086 and 540 got Dean's List Finalists, even if that means we couldn't get our Dean's List 3-peat. On the same note, I don't know anyone who wasn't excited to see ART get the RAS. What an incredible team that will certainly only continue to shoot upward over time.

Speaking of adversity, I want to give a shout out to how 540, 4481, and 1086 handled the adversity of their alliance facing 5 different disables in eliminations, including 3 in the finals. I would have been a wreck. Putting up a fight in 3 2v3 matches is something that deserves recognition, and it's great to see all 3 of these teams going to Worlds.

While I'm disappointed our seniors don't get to go back to Champs this year, we're excited to work on making a better team over the next year. Our juniors are very determined.

Great to see that the last ever Virginia Regional was by far the most Virginia Regional ever. It was great being next to Blue Cheese's pit all weekend; they are truly a role model team. Everyone on 422 is rooting for 1086 to win the RCA and the event in Chesapeake.

[1629GaCo]

Team 1629 GaCo, would like to congratulate 2363 Triple Helix on their Virginia Regional win, we cannot wait until Chesapeake!!!

Congrats to all teams who attended the event and had a wonderful competition!!!

[chmconkling]

Congrats to 2363, 1610, and 384 on a fantastic final and winning VARI. It was great to see everybody again and bring our Dutch friends to VARI with us. It saddens us that we cannot bring them along with us any longer. They will be remarkable at St. Louis like they always have been. I want to thank everybody on behalf of 122 for all the kind words thought this weekend and over the past several weeks for Ben Poole. He was there with us and spirit (black bar on our robot and the dutch guys naming there robot after Ben). We finished 15th overall (better than we have in the last couple years), with a remarkable machine that works both flawlessly and looks beautiful. If you haven't seen it yet, I will post a picture soon, or just come by the pit if you are in DC.

[Maldridge422]

This was the first Virginia Regional I’ve viewed from the field and I’m really glad I got to meet all of the teams and see all of the fantastic robots at this event.

I’d like to give a S/O to…
- 122 for their stunning LEDs and all around gorgeous robot
- 346 for their beautiful electronics
- 384 for leading the winning alliance
- 388 for their constant enthusiasm, I don’t think they ever had fewer than two drive team members dancing while they stood in queuing
- 401 for their sick ramp
- 540 for their impeccable strategy throughout the competition
- 1033 for their strongest showing in five years
- 1086 for being a role model team in every aspect
- 1156 for outperforming every other team during qualifications
- 1262 for being a successful member of #TeamLeadScrew
- 1287 for their vast improvement since Palmetto
- 1541 for their ambitious autonomous
- 1599 for their more than robust robot
- 1610 for their third Virginia win in a row
- 1719 for their gorgeous anodized and intricately assembled frame
- 1731 for their creative design and being on the field more than any other team on Thursday IIRC
- 2053 for their in-queue chairs and for being a great addition to our region for the past few years (seriously guys, I wasn’t kidding when I said you should just get an address down here for next year. Virginia won't be the same without you.)
- 2363 for their incredibly prompt recovery from a gut-wrenching fall and for their formidable robot
- 3361 for being the first team on the field Thursday
- 3373 for their great swerve drive and programming
- 3489 for never complaining once when they had to abandon their lunch outside the arena during lunch to come play a match because we were running behind
- 3939 for their super friendly drive team and powerful double-stacking robot
- 4481 for being the most excited team I’ve ever seen for every second of the competition, and a very deserving Engineering Inspiration winner
- 5279 for their huge strides made since last season
- 5412 for traveling thousands of miles as a rookie team and for their rookie inspiration award
- 5425 for their impressive canburglar and for their strong performance in qualification rounds
- 5546 for reviving FRC at their high school after 9 years and for their well-deserved Rookie All Star Award

[dougwilliams]

- 2053 for their in-queue chairs and for being a great addition to our region for the past few years (seriously guys, I wasn’t kidding when I said you should just get an address down here for next year. Virginia won't be the same without you.)


Oh, you mean these??? (http://i.imgur.com/N9GUqlS.jpg) Critical to keep the drivers in top condition for matches.

If a PO box will suffice we will be back. Unfortunately, we've been considering options for next year, maybe Cleveland, Pittsburgh, NYC/LI, or Toronto.

Congratulations to all the elimination alliances, there were a lot of up and down moments for everyone.

We've learned a lot in VA and become a better team because of our time here...Thank You from Team 2053, TigerTronics!!! (http://i.imgur.com/fTfu9UJ.jpg)

[notmattlythgoe]

Congratulations to 4481. You guys and 540 were fantastic alliance partners, and you are one of the most deserving teams to win the Engineering inspiration award I've seen in my FRC career. Especially for a third year team, you all are amazing.


This statement right here is 100% truth. From top to bottom this team is an absolute inspiration. Great team, great robot, and all around great people. I am looking forward to seeing this team again at the Championship.

Congrats to Sparky 384 on their deserved Chairman's win, it was truly a joy to compete with you guys yet again. It was nice to finally team up with you instead of competing against you like we have many times in the past.

Thank you to 1610 for filling out our alliance. the 12 points we were able to generate each match in auto and capping the extra stacks with step cans is what put this alliance over the top. Congrats on the three-peat!

To the finalists, Talon 540 built the definition of an alliance that performed like they had been built to compete together. With 4481 building stacks of 4 from the HP station and 1086 building stacks of 4 from the landfill and 540 capping the stacks with often more than 4 cans this was a top notch alliance that showed how the game was meant to be played. I am very glad that all 3 were able to get berths to the Championship as all 3 were deserving.

Everybody keep your eyes on 5546 A.R.T. This is a team that just gets it, and I expect them to rise very quickly. I know they already have plans in the works to improve their robot for the Championship and look forward to seeing them continue to grow through their first year.

I know this was a very tough engineering challenge for many teams, but walking around the pits it is obvious that the teams in Virginia are improving each year. Keep up the hard work.

[Woody910]

We are always astounded by the amount of talent and amazing teams that we get to see at the Virginia Regional. It was such an honor to have four international teams, and we hope to see all of them again (If it doesn't switch to districts, that is!) Congratulations to 384, 2363, and 1610! It was an honor to work with Kilroy and DOTM in Quarterfinals. Great way to end one of our team's personal best seasons yet. Hope to see you all next year!

[notmattlythgoe]

We are always astounded by the amount of talent and amazing teams that we get to see at the Virginia Regional. It was such an honor to have four international teams, and we hope to see all of them again (If it doesn't switch to districts, that is!) Congratulations to 384, 2363, and 1610! It was an honor to work with Kilroy and DOTM in Quarterfinals. Great way to end one of our team's personal best seasons yet. Hope to see you all next year!

You guys made a such a cool robot and I can't wait to see it in action again at the Rumble in the Roads!

[TDav540]

You guys made a such a cool robot and I can't wait to see it in action again at the Rumble in the Roads!

It's too bad I'm a senior this year; Rumble is going to be a premier offseason event. There is too much robot talent for it NOT to be :)

[notmattlythgoe]

It's too bad I'm a senior this year; Rumble is going to be a premier offseason event. There is too much robot talent for it NOT to be :)

Absolutely. I hope 540 can make it this year.

[TDav540]

Absolutely. I hope 540 can make it this year.

Probably will. Can't say for sure yet, school administration and scheduling a lot of other stuff has to happen first. But the Original RITR was so much fun that I can't imagine not going :). Seriously though. 5 of the 6 finalists and a ton of playoff teams from Virginia this year will probably be there. Now all we have to do is convince 4481 :)

[CasperB]

Hi guys,

Casper Here from 4481. I just wanted to say that it delights me to read your opinions about the Virginia Regional. In my opinion it was just great, i had so much fun. Afterwards reading your posts and seeing howmuch our team was appreciated really brightens my day (and the entire year :D ).

I also want to say how awesome it was to play with you guys. I think each and every team in the regional was great! Though i still want to point out how great is was to work with Blue Cheese 1086 and Talon 540. The finals were really exciting! sparky384, TripleHelix 2363 and B.O.T 1610 played great and you guys totally deserve the Banners! Nonetheless it excites me knowing that Blue Cheese and Talon are still going to St Louis as well, and you guys totally earned it as well.

I also want to thank A.R.T. 5546. you guys did great and definetly earned the rookie all star. Though handing over your Team Shirt to me as a token of appreciation really got to me. thanks again many times, it really means a lot to me getting such a gift.

I really look forward to next couple weeks, when we'll hopefully meet again @ st Louis.

[TDav540]

Hi guys,

Casper Here from 4481. I just wanted to say that it delights me to read your opinions about the Virginia Regional. In my opinion it was just great, i had so much fun. Afterwards reading your posts and seeing howmuch our team was appreciated really brightens my day (and the entire year :D ).

I also want to say how awesome it was to play with you guys. I think each and every team in the regional was great! Though i still want to point out how great is was to work with Blue Cheese 1086 and Talon 540. The finals were really exciting! sparky384, TripleHelix 2363 and B.O.T 1610 played great and you guys totally deserve the Banners! Nonetheless it excites me knowing that Blue Cheese and Talon are still going to St Louis as well, and you guys totally earned it as well.

I also want to thank A.R.T. 5546. you guys did great and definetly earned the rookie all star. Though handing over your Team Shirt to me as a token of appreciation really got to me. thanks again many times, it really means a lot to me getting such a gift.

I really look forward to next couple weeks, when we'll hopefully meet again @ st Louis.

If we aren't all in the same division, we should at least try to put our alliance back together for one practice match if the opportunity presents itself :).

Don't worry though; I'll be stopping by to get one of those sweet hats :D

[Woody910]

Hi guys,

Casper Here from 4481. I just wanted to say that it delights me to read your opinions about the Virginia Regional. In my opinion it was just great, i had so much fun. Afterwards reading your posts and seeing howmuch our team was appreciated really brightens my day (and the entire year :D ).

I also want to say how awesome it was to play with you guys. I think each and every team in the regional was great! Though i still want to point out how great is was to work with Blue Cheese 1086 and Talon 540. The finals were really exciting! sparky384, TripleHelix 2363 and B.O.T 1610 played great and you guys totally deserve the Banners! Nonetheless it excites me knowing that Blue Cheese and Talon are still going to St Louis as well, and you guys totally earned it as well.

I also want to thank A.R.T. 5546. you guys did great and definetly earned the rookie all star. Though handing over your Team Shirt to me as a token of appreciation really got to me. thanks again many times, it really means a lot to me getting such a gift.

I really look forward to next couple weeks, when we'll hopefully meet again @ st Louis.

I really hope to see you guys next year, if possible! You guys made a beautiful robot, and a few of us from 2028 had a wonderful time spending nearly 45 minutes talking to one of your mentors about your arm system, learning about carbon fiber and some of your design ideas. Good luck at Championships! And congratulations on the Engineering Inspiration Award, you guys definitely deserved it. You guys are an amazing group of talented and dedicated engineers.

[Woody910]

You guys made a such a cool robot and I can't wait to see it in action again at the Rumble in the Roads!

So Rumble in the Roads is definitely happening this year? Some of us were talking about it earlier today, and were curious as it has not been officially announced.

[notmattlythgoe]

So Rumble in the Roads is definitely happening this year? Some of us were talking about it earlier today, and were curious as it has not been officially announced.

Oh it's happening, we didn't announce it until May last year. But, I would be looking out for an announcement very soon. Hint hint.

[Woody910]

Oh it's happening, we didn't announce it until May last year. But, I would be looking out for an announcement very soon. Hint hint.

Awesome, good to hear. We plan on making some improvements to our bot before we show up, and hope to improve ourselves even better over Virginia.

[JamesBrown]

I was just reading a thread about determining the cause of robots dropping communications during a match.

Does any one know the root cause of 540's communication issues in the Finals?

[notmattlythgoe]

I was just reading a thread about determining the cause of robots dropping communications during a match.

Does any one know the root cause of 540's communication issues in the Finals?

I believe what I heard from one of the 540 students was their battery voltage was draining very quickly at times and was dropping below the needed level.

[Wetzel]

I believe what I heard from one of the 540 students was their battery voltage was draining very quickly at times and was dropping below the needed level.

I don't have a root cause, but I watched the radio reboot on two different occasions, and other times watched an apparent roborio reboot, where we could see the radio via the driver station, and then No Robot Code, then Teleop Enabled.


Wetzel

[TDav540]

I am the button man for 540, but I am not a programmer. However, I have spoken to my driver (who is also the programming lead for 540) and battery voltage is definitely one of the issues. I do not know if this would have caused the bridge to reboot, but based on the length of the times we disconnected during F1 (Two stints of ~30 seconds), it would not surprise me.

The FTA said that during SF2, our roboRio rebooted; however, we were unable to determine the problem. It seemed to fix itself after we cleared some wires away from the reset button. However, I can confirm that that was NOT due to battery voltage after checking the logs.

Although we are pretty sure it was the battery voltage, we are unsure of what was drawing power. We will be doing testing as soon as we get our practice bot back to working order. If anyone has any suspicions or suggestions, we definitely want to explore all options and any ideas would be appreciated.

[notmattlythgoe]

I am the button man for 540, but I am not a programmer. However, I have spoken to my driver (who is also the programming lead for 540) and battery voltage is definitely one of the issues. I do not know if this would have caused the bridge to reboot, but based on the length of the times we disconnected during F1 (Two stints of ~30 seconds), it would not surprise me.

The FTA said that during SF2, our roboRio rebooted; however, we were unable to determine the problem. It seemed to fix itself after we cleared some wires away from the reset button. However, I can confirm that that was NOT due to battery voltage after checking the logs.

Although we are pretty sure it was the battery voltage, we are unsure of what was drawing power. We will be doing testing as soon as we get our practice bot back to working order. If anyone has any suspicions or suggestions, we definitely want to explore all options and any ideas would be appreciated.

If the battery was draining quickly and dropping the voltage low I would suspect a short somewhere.

[Woody910]

I was just reading a thread about determining the cause of robots dropping communications during a match.

Does any one know the root cause of 540's communication issues in the Finals?

We got kinda screwed in quarterfinals by "connection" issues too. I don't know if you saw 2028, 1522, and 339's first QF match, but our bot (2028) would not register any controls. The field has records of us being connected 100% of the match, our driver station was getting inputs from our controls, but the robot wouldn't react at all. We got back to pit after the match, and it worked like a charm. After 20 minutes, FTA still could not find out what happened. So, it defaulted to being our fault. Naturally. The only match we had "communication issues" out of the 20 we've played this year. We still have no clue what happened to our bot that match. I know this doesn't relate to 540, but figured I would drop in on the comm conversation. (Also, forgive the not so technical explanation. I don't understand all the programming stuff.)

[dougwilliams]

... in quarterfinals by "connection" issues too..

After the finals were over, one of the field guys found us in the stands and asked if we had any connection issues during eliminations. It seemed like a very odd question at the time (especially after it was all over), but I'm guessing they were trying to figure out what happened.

Our team had no discernible outages or comms losses at all during VA. In practice matches our controller / DS gave out due to faulty USB connectors. Pre-competition, our practice bot would sometimes turn on and off while sitting idle, but we never saw this on our competition bot. We assume that was the PDP fuse issue, but haven't proven that. Positive it was not brown out, as we frequently ran our practice bot and battery to brown out level and that has fairly distinct symptoms.

[Woody910]

After the finals were over, one of the field guys found us in the stands and asked if we had any connection issues during eliminations. It seemed like a very odd question at the time (especially after it was all over), but I'm guessing they were trying to figure out what happened.

Our team had no discernible outages or comms losses at all during VA. In practice matches our controller / DS gave out due to faulty USB connectors. Pre-competition, our practice bot would sometimes turn on and off while sitting idle, but we never saw this on our competition bot. We assume that was the PDP fuse issue, but haven't proven that. Positive it was not brown out, as we frequently ran our practice bot and battery to brown out level and that has fairly distinct symptoms.

Like I said, between Myrtle Beach Regional 3 weeks before and and the Virginia Regional matches before, we had not had a single issue. We were just at a loss as to what happened. Our programmer re-deployed code in queue, so maybe that caused an issue? But our programming mentor can't see why that would have been a problem.

[notmattlythgoe]

We got kinda screwed in quarterfinals by "connection" issues too. I don't know if you saw 2028, 1522, and 339's first QF match, but our bot (2028) would not register any controls. The field has records of us being connected 100% of the match, our driver station was getting inputs from our controls, but the robot wouldn't react at all. We got back to pit after the match, and it worked like a charm. After 20 minutes, FTA still could not find out what happened. So, it defaulted to being our fault. Naturally. The only match we had "communication issues" out of the 20 we've played this year. We still have no clue what happened to our bot that match. I know this doesn't relate to 540, but figured I would drop in on the comm conversation. (Also, forgive the not so technical explanation. I don't understand all the programming stuff.)

We had a quality match like this, the rio never lost connection to the FMS but our robot code just stopped. No logs on the DS about code crashing, it just stopped.

[Woody910]

We had a quality match like this, the rio never lost connection to the FMS but our robot code just stopped. No logs on the DS about code crashing, it just stopped.

Well glad to hear we aren't the only ones who had that issue... Know by chance what Alliance you were on and what player station number?

[notmattlythgoe]

Well glad to hear we aren't the only ones who had that issue... Know by chance what Alliance you were on and what player station number?

Red, I can find out the alliance station tomorrow.

[Woody910]

Red, I can find out the alliance station tomorrow.

Ah, okay. Was wondering if most issues were with Blue side, as I saw during Elims. Must just be bad luck, or an odd issue FRC still hasn't worked out.

[Lij2015]

Ah, okay. Was wondering if most issues were with Blue side, as I saw during Elims. Must just be bad luck, or an odd issue FRC still hasn't worked out.

When we dropped code we were on the far left player station so #1?

[notmattlythgoe]

Well glad to hear we aren't the only ones who had that issue... Know by chance what Alliance you were on and what player station number?

We also had one match where we were disabled early and ended up spearing a capped stack of totes with our can arm in the last 5 seconds of the match because our robot continued driving forward out of control.

[Maldridge422]

I think the biggest connection issue at the event was by 5545: piedmontSTEM from Concord, VA. Rookie no-show. Does anybody know anything about their situation?

Here's their team info page: http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on/team/332995/?ProgramCode=FRC

[Crebb]

I think the biggest connection issue at the event was by 5545: piedmontSTEM from Concord, VA. Rookie no-show. Does anybody know anything about their situation?

Here's their team info page: http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on/team/332995/?ProgramCode=FRC

5545 had originally planned on being a rookie this season but decided to wait until next year in order to drum up more support and become more prepared.

[ToddF]

A Triple Helix highlights (and low lights) reel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOwzmyduPA&list=UUuxJRpGPzRUtz3Dy8ynfN3A) from the Virginia Regional.

[PayneTrain]

A Triple Helix highlights (and low lights) reel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOwzmyduPA&list=UUuxJRpGPzRUtz3Dy8ynfN3A) from the Virginia Regional.

Did y'all get closing ceremonies? I know ART was looking for them. We didn't video closing this year.

[JamesBrown]

I think the biggest connection issue at the event was by 5545: piedmontSTEM from Concord, VA. Rookie no-show. Does anybody know anything about their situation?

Here's their team info page: http://www.usfirst.org/whats-going-on/team/332995/?ProgramCode=FRC

They were not able to get funding in time and decided to wait a year. They are planning activities in April to begin recruiting and fundraising for next year.

[chmconkling]

We had a quality match like this, the rio never lost connection to the FMS but our robot code just stopped. No logs on the DS about code crashing, it just stopped.

One match we would lose com with the field and they recommended us unplug or remove the camera from the robot and we had no more issues.

[notmattlythgoe]

One match we would lose com with the field and they recommended us unplug or remove the camera from the robot and we had no more issues.

Good to know. We are scrapping vision anyway so we could take the camera off.

[dougwilliams]

A Triple Helix highlights (and low lights) reel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BOwzmyduPA&list=UUuxJRpGPzRUtz3Dy8ynfN3A) from the Virginia Regional.


Todd and Triple Helix,
Do you know if there are plans to complete the match by match videos you were posting on youtube? I see about 20 up and then some elimination match ones.

We love them and it's a great resource for post-game analysis - thanks for the effort!

[djdaugherty]

Todd and Triple Helix,

I want to thank you for posting these videos, we are using them to put together a highlights reel for presentations. In looking at some of them, we are somewhat confused about the scoring and now wonder if we are missing something. In qualification match #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tpFMG5dYV0 the blue alliance is awarded 108 points. I don't see how the alliance earned any autonomous points and I can't figure out how the 108 was arrived at. According to the voice, it should have been 18 points, which matches what I see in the video, but FRC Syder also has the blue alliance recorded as earning 108 points that match. We want to make sure we understand how points are awarded - any insights? In several other matches, the official scores do not match what is on the screen at the end. Is changing of scores a common? If so, are those scores announced at the event?

[ToddF]

My guess is that this match was one that was replayed later. I'll bet the video that was posted was from the original match, with the replay graphic attached to the end. The video and the scores definitely don't match.

Rewatching, you can see some strange status light behavior and field personnel talking to one of the blue teams.

[Wetzel]

We were looking at the problem, and the team in Blue 3 decided to e stop as an attention getter. It's never a good idea to use the e-stop as an FTA call button, sometimes we can fix the issue but not if you e-stop.

Fortunately, the wasn't the case as my notes say we replayed this match immediately.

[djdaugherty]

Thank you. We were talking about this tonight and thought a replay was the only explanation. I wish there was a way to indicate when a match has been replayed or a score has been changed. Thanks again for taking time to answer the question and for posting the videos! We are really going to miss going to Virginia next year. We have really enjoyed working with our friends down south. The weather was always a big plus too!!

[dougwilliams]

Does anyone know if there's a capture of the full stream or all of the match videos anywhere? I'm missing a few I've been trying to get my hands on...

[notmattlythgoe]

Does anyone know if there's a capture of the full stream or all of the match videos anywhere? I'm missing a few I've been trying to get my hands on...

You should be able to find all of the matches in our playlists here (https://www.youtube.com/user/TripleHelix2363/playlists?shelf_id=0&view=1&sort=dd).

[dougwilliams]

You should be able to find all of the matches in our playlists here (https://www.youtube.com/user/TripleHelix2363/playlists?shelf_id=0&view=1&sort=dd).


I think you are missing a large bunch in the middle from 27 to about 63 or so. Or they aren't linked or showing up right(?).

PS- thank you for doing this, it is incredible helpful!

[notmattlythgoe]

I think you are missing a large bunch in the middle from 27 to about 63 or so. Or they aren't linked or showing up right(?).

PS- thank you for doing this, it is incredible helpful!

Hmm yes, it does look like a bunch are missing. I'll look into it.

Update: Looks like there were some issues during the uploads. We still have the match video and will work on uploading it soon.

[dougwilliams]

Hmm yes, it does look like a bunch are missing. I'll look into it.

Update: Looks like there were some issues during the uploads. We still have the match video and will work on uploading it soon.

Hey it looks like the last few matches you uploaded (Qual 27-30) are actually Chesapeake video. The next few (31-32) seem to be off by one but have the right score card at the end. From 33-36 looked right to me

[notmattlythgoe]

Hey it looks like the last few matches you uploaded (Qual 27-30) are actually Chesapeake video. The next few (31-32) seem to be off by one but have the right score card at the end. From 33-36 looked right to me

Sigh. Ok I'll look into it. Thanks.

[dougwilliams]

Sigh. Ok I'll look into it. Thanks.

I'd be happy to help somehow - but I imagine with bulk video over the internet that wouldn't be the easiest thing to do. But if there's some part you want help with just let me know.

(Selfishly - I'm looking for match 30 -we recorded our others but apparently don't have that one :( I still actually like your full field view better ;) )